Baptist Cancer Center (BCC) recently won the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer’s (IASLC) 2022 North America Regional Cancer Care Team Award. IASLC recognized the team during its annual World Conference on Lung Cancer.
The IASLC Cancer Care Team Award is one of the association’s most prestigious awards. It recognizes one institution each in North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia/Rest of the World for extraordinary patient care in the field of lung cancer and thoracic malignancies. Patients and their loved ones nominate teams for the award.
A patient nominated the cancer care team, which is led by Dr. Raymond Osarogiagbon, chief scientist for Baptist Memorial Health Care and director of the multidisciplinary thoracic oncology program and the thoracic oncology research group for Baptist Cancer Center. The rest of the team named in the nomination includes Laura McHugh, RN/physician nurse; Dr. Todd Robbins, MD/thoracic surgeon; Sam Signore, RN/physician nurse; Samantha Parker, RN/nurse navigator; Christie Ellis, RN/nurse navigator; and Jasmine Banks, BA/multi-intake navigator.
“We are honored to be one of only three cancer teams across the globe to receive this award, but it is most meaningful because we were nominated by one of our patients,” said Dr. Osarogiagbon. “Our team is dedicated to caring for our patients and furthering research in the field of lung cancer. This award demonstrates our exceptional teamwork and how it benefits our patients.”
IASLC is the only global organization dedicated solely to the study of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. Founded in 1974, the association’s membership includes nearly 7,500 lung cancer specialists across all disciplines in more than 100 countries, forming a global network working together to conquer lung and thoracic cancers worldwide. The association also publishes the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the primary educational and informational publication for topics relevant to the prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment of all thoracic malignancies. Visit iaslc.org for more information.
Baptist Cancer Center provides world-class cancer care close to home throughout Baptist Memorial Health Care’s tristate service area of Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. The center takes an interdisciplinary approach to patient care and offers treatment, research, support services, community education and the area’s first genetic counseling and testing program for cancer. In addition, BCC has the Mid-South’s first adult myelosuppression unit, which provides specialized care for patients who have received chemotherapy that interferes with blood cell production or stops bone marrow activity.
In 2019, BCC was awarded a second $9 million research grant from the National Cancer Institute to continue building out its clinical research infrastructure to expand lifesaving, leading-edge treatment across the Mid-South, including overcoming disparities in cancer care under the Minority-Underserved NCI Community Oncology Research Program, known as NCORP. In 2021, BCC announced a multifaceted initiative called the Mid-South Miracle aimed at reducing lung cancer deaths in the Mid-South by 25% by 2030.
